During our annual all-staff meeting, we covered all the bases. I stressed our commitment to personal service. My staff explained how they responded to more than 20,000 emailed questions and comments. These are a few of our favorites.
Im American-Moroccan. I grew up in Morocco and I’m Muslim. I read your article about Turkey and I find it very interesting. I hope that many people could read that and understand that we all want peace in this world. P.S: I will be reading your colon as much as I can.
I will go to Ireland in August with a tour group. Where do I go to see the fairies? No, not ferries. Fairies. No, I’m not kidding. I’m reading your Ireland 2008 book, and you don’t have them listed in the index.
We will be in Paris and we will have two granchildren with us, ages 9 and 11 and are trying to find economical rooms. Four hotels referred to in your guidebooks are in French; Hotel du Champ de Mars, Hotel de Arma,Hotel de Turenne, and Hotel de la Paix. Is there a way to get the English guides?
Rick, Have you ever done a tour on the Transatlantic rail?
I am related to Oliver Cromwell and proad of it. I was wondering why you didn’t mention him in the history section of the book??? also why did you leave out Huntingdon which id where there is a museum of Oliver Cromwell. Are you being paid by the royals to write this book. Because it seems that the history section of the book of England is about all of them. We enjoyed your book of Italy and that is why I BOUGHT your book on England which I am VERY disappointed in. Any way I am sure you don’t care about a normal person complaining about how you wrote your book. The little people NEVER get heard. Thank you for your time. Sorry to have bothered you.
On a crowded train to Sienna, my daughter and I entered a compartment where a young Italian couple were seated face to face and having a very animated conversation. They passionately looked into each other’s eyes and jestured with there hands and spoke lovingly for over an hour. When they got off at their stop, I asked my daughter, who is fluent in Italian, what they were talking about, expecting her to say it was a conversation of young lovers. “Mostly, they were talking about eggplants and tomatoes” she said.
Hi, is there a reason why you almost never give us shows that tell us about the night life in all of those countries you go too? I never see you show the beautiful white girls and women, just men and old people. Please see if you can do that since some of us are more interested in the people over there then just mountains, lakes, and boring scenery.
my friend and i are going to england in july to the cotswolds… Is there a certain way i should eat there so i dont’t look like an idiot haha. like i am right handed but should i use fork in left knife in right.. and eat with fork in left?.. i remember in the video rick was at a B&B. and did his tea with milk and cream first before tea.. lol.
where can I buy the small smoke hood to carry on for protection against crash fire?
I have a child in the Air Force that is overseas and has been there for 4 years. She has been all through Europe (and Asia) X times over. Your info is pretty decent ie. like in Paris… but she has vast knowledge that you have no clue of.
As a teacher I purchased your Book in truth a paper back, Which largely stated about you self. We Don’t care about you Sir It is not at all as represented. The Title is misleading Deceptive . The Paper back is a piece of junk. You Sir ARE NOT An unusually Gifted any thing Your Europe is you labeled Europe through the back door fails also . As to your travels with back it lacks relevancy. send me my money back include all postage and handling, and I’ll send you your worthless paper back. What a fraud.
Those are pretty hilarious. Thanks for sharing.
Boy, you have to have a thick skin to do this for a living. Please, I hope you sent that persons money back. Because I really don’t want to run into someone like that on my great trips to Europe!
Hello Mr. Rick Steves. i was curious to find out how to apply to your wonderful company. I have been following your shows for years and I love them all. I would love to be part of the family production team. Is there a certain area I can log onto on your site to apply? Thanks Rick Horn
I often wonder how many people don’t get the little jokes in your books (e.g., that you set up the mile-marker signs along the Rhine in Germany so readers could follow the guided tour, or that you put the benches in front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul so your readers could take a break). I’m guessing it’s far too many.
What’s even more disturbing is that some of these people are allowed to vote!
And people think video games are the downfall of the youth in society. How about the teacher in the last post!!??? Maybe we should start there!!
That a teacher could write something so poorly does not bode well for his or her students actually learning anything. Reminds me of my ex’s stepmother who is a teacher and her atrocious grammar. Colloquial speech is one thing–and fine for among family and friends–but a teacher should present a higher standard.
I love “I will be reading your colon as much as I can” … at least the writer meant well. I love the arrogance of “Your info is pretty decent … but she has vast knowledge that you have no clue of.” As for the “French” hotel listings, you can lead a horse to water … Also, I was going to say that I hope that the “teacher” is from a non-English speaking country (explaining the language issues), but more fundamentally, I hope that they are not really teaching anyone anything, anywhere. Mothers everywhere were right: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!
I’m glad to see that Rick’s readers have not lost the art of diplomacy. You know what diplomacy is, of course, it’s saying “nice doggie” until you can find a rock.
This is why I love Rick’s blog — you never know what you’re going to read. I’m happy that Rick will be visting Chicago next month for a PBS pledge drive. I submitted my request to volunteer months ago, but just learned that “Rick’s shift” is already full. Rick, if you’re reading this, can you pull some strings? I’d love to see you in person!
Rick, you owe me a keyboard, now soaked with coffee after reading “I will be reading your colon as much as I can”. Funniest blog ever.
I started out reading this as a serious travel blog when my eyes came to a screeching halt at your colon…I had to reposition myself and freshen my coffee as I knew “this was going to be a good one ! ” You never let me down Rick this one was good !! Pat
The “teacher” scares the HECK out of me! LOL! Just think parents, your child can learn to write clearly with this shining example of an educator! Very funny!
LOOOOOL !! This is the most hilarious post I have ever read. You sir, are an unusually gifted any thing. LOL.
I think it was Aristotle or Groucho Marx or Will Rogers who said we love poking fun at people – as long as it’s not ourselves.
Rick, Thanks for sharing these letters. Unbelievable! It’s hard to believe these people are “for real”. The one letter that stands out is the person that has “a child in the Air Force”. It’s incredibly ignorant to assume that 4 years of travels is equal to your ~35 years in Europe and your many travels to India, Costa Rica and other parts of the world (and especially Iran, as I’ll bet the Air Force child hasn’t been there!). I hope you didn’t give the “Teacher” a refund!
This will almost certainly elicit derision from your corps of mocking birds on here but I wanted to make a brief comment before never returning. I bought two of your guides as a prelude to our trip to Europe later this year. I am sorry I did. Not because they are of particularly low quality, though I would rate them both in the lower quartile of those I have read. But rather because, like nearly every leftist on Earth driving around with 12 bumper stickers on their Prius, you simply can *not* keep your political views to yourself. I bought your books to inform and guide my trip planning, not to hear snide juvenile political posturing. Just as I don’t need to hear a vacuous pop-starlet lecture me on politics nor do I need any such “insight” from someone who takes vacations for a living. In summary…Spare us! Well no need to spare me. I won’t be purchasing any more of your products.
Yes, I was a bit disappointed in Rick’s decision to print these malapropisms, grammatical goofs and unintentional pratfalls to such a large? audience. But the fact is that people who tour with his guides do ask for examples of the funniest questions from clients and the guides, being customer-service oriented, have some that are amusing. But this kind of stuff is best kept to a small intimate group rather than broadcast to huge audiences. I’m not sure Rick Steves even issues every one of these blogs. It may be that staff influences or writes some of them. And if it’s not Rick (or he doesn’t vet the blog,) his surrogates may be less aware, sensitive, mature and experienced about human nature. But everybody probably benefits from acerbic critics like Porter. “Criticism may not be agreeable. But it serves a purpose just like pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” Winston Churchill
Wow, and here I thought Rick’s pro-Obama rantings were his worst attribute! And as far as that teacher is concerned, and some of you folks having a problem with his/her posting, let me ask you a question: What did you expect from a GOVERNMENT RUN education system??? Maybe the government will do a better job with health care…NOT! ;-)
What is even funnier to me than spelling errors and grammatical miscues is the fact that individuals continue to complain about the inclusion of Mr. Steve’s personal and political beliefs. First of all, if you bought one of the guide books without viewing one of his eighty television shows, listening to one of his countless radio programs or even viewing this website before your purchase, then that is your own fault. If you had done your homework you simply could have purchased a main-stream travel guide, realizing that these guides and tours are not for everyone. Secondly, I purchase these products solely for the fact that I get Mr. Steve’s personal opinions, soap-box and all, regardless of whether or not I agree with them. There are plenty of other options out there that are more “technical” in nature.
Caveat emptor? If only we were all so cautious before we bought something.
Porter, I don’t consider myself part of Rick’s “corps of mocking birds” but I’d like to correct one point in your vitriolic ramblings, specifically your comment about “someone who takes vacations for a living”. Let me assure you, Rick’s trips to Europe are NOT vacations – these are clearly “work”involving many long days! For example, each half hour PBS show takes a MINIMUM of six 12-hour days to film. In addition there’s Guidebook research and other tasks which are necessary to provide those of us who travel using Rick’s books with as much up-to-date information as possible. In addition to criticism, hopefully you’re also willing to “give credit where credit is due”. If you don’t agree with Rick’s political statements, don’t read them!
Porter…you know what, never mind….
Interesting group here. Last first: Alfran…You really have me there. Well put. Ken D.: You’ll have to excuse my “vitriolic ramblings.” I was quite nonplussed upon realizing I had purchased a paean to Pol Pot rather than a travel guide. Also, please understand the depth of sympathy I feel for Mr. Steves and the backbreaking labor he endures to bring the public his political opinions from Parisian cafes. Would that all of us had the fortitude to put in 72-hour work-months in such difficult circumstances. How he perseveres is a mystery. We can only appreciate that he does. Perhaps all of the kind folks on this message board suffer the same grueling existence as Mr. Steves and thus are disposed to grant him wide latitude in voicing his political opinions in a travel guide. Though as one who only works 200-240 hour months and only gets a vacation to Europe once every 20 years or so, I am not. Dan: I’d be fascinated to watch you enter a doctor’s office and explain your symptoms only to hear an incoherent political diatribe in response. What, you weren’t aware of that doctor’s political leanings? Well, that’s your own damn fault. Now pay the bill and have a nice day.
Gee, Porter, do bitter much? If other people can agree to disagree with Mr. Steves, what makes you so exceptional? Perhaps if you took some of the Haterade out of your commentary, you might actually have some credibility.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, including Mr Steves. You don’t have to agree with him and you don’t have to buy his books. Personally, I like to hear other opinions because it helps me keep my mind and heart open to other cultures and ideas. It’s a big, huge world out there and I love learning about it.
This is why I would suck at customer service. Or, as Woody Allen says in Annie Hall, “What I wouldn’t give for a large sock filled with manure.”
Hey Porter, I though you were never returning to this webside after your initial remarks — can’t resist coming back, eh, in between your long workhours? What’s that saying about all work & no play … ?